Architecture Wednesday: Ivy Hill Urban Oasis

I have looked for color, not just red, for the Duchess Deedles, and I found some, in this charming 1925 Spanish Mediterranean home in the Ivy Hill neighborhood of Oakland, California.

Each space has been meticulously restored with a blend of authentic period details and new features; a techie’s dream, the residence has been automated for just about everything from climate control to window shades to audio to lighting, you can run the house from your smart phone.

But it’s the house I love; the original brick walkway, the large front porch, the Dutch front door. And the inside, while electronically 2021, still has the charm it did in 1925. From the front door, you can see the living area and dining room, and then straight through to the backyard, giving the 2,704 square-foot floorplan an indoor/outdoor flow.

The entryway features an original restored stair railing, radiator heater and a custom niche, while a large, light filled living room with its original fireplace—though converted to gas—stretches the length of the house and opens to the large Ipe deck. Remote operated shades in the living room also double as a screen for the home theatre, making the living area media center.

The kitchen has been reworked into a modern-day space with gourmet commercial appliances, a large soapstone island, lots of storage, soda water/beer taps, coffee maker space, BlueStar commercial range with double oven and 24” griddle, and two sinks. The breakfast nook in the kitchen allows for easy casual entertaining.

The dining room can be closed or left open with glass French doors, and easy access to the kitchen via a Dutch door. Custom leaded glass details were handcrafted by the owner and contain over 1200 pieces of colorful and beveled glass. Finishing out the main level is one of my favorite spaces: the powder room with meadow-inspired Heath tile designed to represent blades of grass as it visually meets the floral Liberty wallpaper, complete with an Italian Murano glass chandelier.

Upstairs are four generous bedrooms, with the primary bedroom featuring a custom see-through DaVinci fireplace, matching bespoke bench seats, dual closets and a vaulted shiplap ceiling. The sky-lit primary bath offers a steam shower and large clawfoot tub with a view of the East Bay hills through the fireplace, plus dual sinks, custom cabinetry and a separate toilet room.

Out back is a sunny yard surrounded by extensive succulent plantings and a raised vegetable garden. The deck opens from the living room, breakfast nook and kitchen and features a cozy built-in firepit, and drops into the outdoor oasis with a lawn, paver walkway and driveway, secret grotto area and a cool original Airstream ‘Guest House.’

This home as all the history of a 100-year-old beauty and the modern technology of a 21^st century hoe. It is, or was, on the market for $1,395,000. And recently sold for $2.1 million.

A bargain.

Dwell